Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Just doing the three rubber brake lines in my 1940, and took off the first hose and there is a copper washer between the wheel cylinder and face of the hose fitting. The new hoses from Merritt did not come with the copper washers. Is one needed? Or go without? So many years ago cannot remember if this is something I added many years ago?

Thanks

Just went to the Reybestos page, and they show copper washers with their hoses?

Anytime a brake hose is screwed into a wheel cylinder or caliper you must use a copper sealing washer.

Recently a guy in one of the Napa stores argued that I didn't need the gasket which didn't come with the hoses I was buying and his reasoning was that if they weren't included, they weren't needed! I knew better and bought some. Bottom line, you need them.

The ones I have are a bit thick. You say NAPA carries the washers? Think Max should include them? Thanks

Napa has most sizes of washers but I found that few if any are all carried by one store. When finding washers for the master cylinder brass junction block it took trips to several local stores to find two sizes and two different stores find both of them. I don't know if same is true for the hose washers but Packard used some odd fractional sizes on masters that are not found in the modern standard washer kits most parts stores keep behind the counter.

I agree that IMO, the washers should be included -- particularly when buying a so called complete brake kit. When I expressed that opinion during my search the feeling was the washers in many cases can be reused and was the reason some mfgs did not include them with new cylinders or hoses. Since Packard and the parts houses did not include them with new items neither would our vendors.

I don't know about Max but Kanter has been fairly generous in sticking small items like O rings or copper washers in an envelope and sending them to a Packard owner in need at low or no cost. They have done so in some cases even if they did not sell the parts that the washer or O ring was for.

I'm sure if you were buying from the Packard dealer you would get them. Even if you were getting them with after market parts there is no guarantee they are to correct specifications. I had some of those washers be completely different from the originals so I ended up matching the witness marks on the originals.

When you have such parts and they leak after being torqued to spec, that is not good when the originals don't leak.

For now will just use what is already there, the washers don't seem to be beat up, just lightly scored since they have already been used. Got the measurements, and will try to track down a few extras. id 7/16, od 11/16, .030 thick. Thanks

In many cases the copper washers can be re-used with no ill effect. The copper is soft enough take up any imperfections in the mating surfaces. They should only need to be replaced if cracked or split. In fact many of the aftermarkets manufacturers of the era like EIS and Wagner did not include them.

Thanks
James From
Kanter Auto Products

Yes, true if compressed once or maybe twice but on vintage cars one has no idea how many times they've been compressed! Always replace them and it's irresponsible to not include them with a "complete" kit. I've recently bought hoses from different sources for four different vehicles and in every case they included the washers. They are very cheap insurance.